Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-05-07
HAWKS AND OWLS.
Government Experts Estimate that They
are Worth &25, 900 Year.

government Experts Estimate tnAJ Iney
are Worth &25, 200 a Year.
The pathological division of the govern
ment Department of Agriculture estimates
that each hawk and OWLS worth S25, 900 per
annum to the farmers of the country. The
estimate is based upon the assumption that
every field mouse not caught will damage
crops to the amount of two cents year.
Negotiations have been pending for some
time between the chief orinthologist of the
Department of Agriculture and a man who
has had great deal of experience as
trainer of falcons in Europe. These negotia-
tons are for the purpose of securing the ser
vices of this man to train number of hawks
for use in the rice fields of South Carolina.
The planters there are clamoring for some
method of Kidding their fields of rice birds.
which play frightful havoc with their crops
every year. 1t has been found that the pres
ence of living hawk in the air over field
of rice will cause the immediate departure of
every bird in the vicinity. Guns, drums and
other implements for creating great noise
are only partly successful. A stuffed hawk
will do well enough for day or two, but the
depredators soon learn that there is little to
fear from dead enemy. 1t is therefore pro-
posed to try the effect of trained birds. 1t is
the purpose of the department to begin with
small number this year, and if the plan
proves successful to the rice bird problem, it
is likely that every rice planter in the South
will be supplied in the near future with a
flock of falcons. The following extract from
letter received at the department from Mr..
William Miles Hazard, of Annandale, s. c.,
wi civ If 10 ,,L, ,l, ~
rice bird causes the planters in that State:
"The bobolink makes its appearance during
the latter part of April. At that season their
plumage is white and black, and they sing
merrily when at rest. Their flight is always
at night. In the evening there are none; BY
morning their appearance is heralded by
popping of whips and musketry firing of the
bird-minders in their efforts to keep them
from pulling up young rice. This warfare
is kept up necessarily until about the 25th of
May, when they suddenly disappear at night
Their next appearance is in a dark yellow
plumage as the rice bird. Nosong this time,
but chirp, which means ruin to any rice
found in milk My plantation record will
show that for the past ten years, except
when prevented by stormy south or south
west winds, they have come punctually on
the night of August q, apparently coming
from seward. All night their chirp can
be heard passing over our summer homes on
South Island, which is situated on the east
of our rice plantations, SIX miles distant in
full view of the ocean, Curious to saw dur
ing the day we have never seen this flight of
birds, but during the nights of August 81,
%, %, and "a millions of these birds make
their appearance and settle in the rice fields
From the 2lst of August to the 25th of Sep
TENDER our every effort is to save the crop.
Men, boys and women are posted with guns
and ammunition to every four or five acres,
and shoot daily an average of about one
quart of powder to the gun. The firing
begins at first dawn of day, and is kept up
until sunset. After all this expense and
trouble our loss of rice per acre seldom falls
under five bushels, and if from any cause
there is check to the crop during its growth,
which prevents the grain from being hard
and leaving it in a milky condition, the
destruction of such fields is complete, for the
crop would not pay to cut and bring out of
the field.
1--WE have tried every plan to keep these
pests off our crops at less expense in money
and manual labor than we now incur, and
have been unsuccessful. Our present mode
is expensive, imperfect and thoroughly I'M
satisfactory; yet it is the best we can do
l regard these birds as destructive in the rice
region as the caterpillar is in the cotton belt,
with this difference that these rice birds
never fail to come. OF course great
numbers of birds are killed and used as an
article of food. From eating rice they be-
come very fat; their bones are softened and
offer. no resistance. If the government
could devise some means to aid in keeping
off these birds it would render us great
service. However, there will not be any
need Of this assistance if the duty on foreign
rice is decreased. AS it now stands we can
do no more than hold our own against the
cheaply-grown rice of foreign countries
Once remove protection and rice planting in
this country will be abandoned, as our loss
l.yI su,lr y
in order to make anything renders the
cultivation dangerous speculation. During
the seabird season we employ about 100 bird
minders, who shoot from three to five kegs
of powder daily, each weighing twenty-five
pounds. Add to this shot and caps, and you
will form some idea what these birds cost
one planter"